Recipe: Sue's Ma's Fruitcake

Faithful commenter 'suek' has shared her mom's fruitcake recipe.  

From the comment thread, we also learn that Sue's Ma always said, " 'No pineapple!' ... because the pineapple (and the immediate surrounding cake) would mold, even if faithfully "watered" with Bourbon. " But JudyDee's is fine!



Sue's Ma's Fruitcake

1# butter
1# sugar
1 dozen eggs
4 oz liquor

1# flour (3 1/5 cups)
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon

2# raisins
1# currants
1# dates 
1# figs 
1# pitted dates
¼ # English walnuts
¼ # Black walnuts
¼ # each: citron, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, candied maraschino cherries

(Total of 6 ½ lbs of dried fruit and nuts – even if you change the various fruits.)


Mix dry ingredients, and add fruit and nuts. Turn the fruit into the dry ingredients until they're well coated with the flour mix.

In a separate bowl, cream butter with sugar and add eggs, one at a time . (My Mom's recipe called for each egg to be broken into a separate cup and then added to the creamed mix. I decided that this was probably a hangover from the days of home supplied eggs, with the subsequent risk that one of the eggs might be rotten – ruining all of the mix. It's probably not necessary today). Add the liquor last.

Fold the floured fruit into the creamed butter mix – or add the creamed mix into the floured fruit...depending on the size of your bowls. 

Loaf pans should be 3” x 5”, and lined with oiled/buttered brown paper. Fill the pans about 2/3 full, and bake at least 1 hour at 275* degrees.

Recipe: Fruit Dumplings

Cherry Dumplings topped with cinnamon sugar

Before we go to the recipe, I'd like to say a word or two about 'Dumpling Culture'. Dumpling Culture refers to the crappy old times in which folks ate a lot of dumplings-- usually with sauce or gravy. I will not say that those were simpler times because making dumplings is complicated business. But they were good times because dumplings are yummy. 

We used cherries rather than plums.

FRUIT DUMPLINGS

3/4 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 C flour (or more)
2 eggs
plums cut into pieces
cinnamon sugar

Combine milk, salt and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture is stiff and doesn't stick to spatula or pan. Remove from heat, let cool slightly. Add eggs. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut into squares. Wrap each square around a plum piece. Spoon dumplings into rapidly boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Recipe: Creative Cooking Chicken Sauterne

Fancy Night Supper! 

Cut the recipe in half if you don't need to serve 12 people.

CREATIVE COOKING CHICKEN SAUTERNE

Makes about 12 servings

2 3 ½-lb frying chickens, disjointed, simmered in salted water to cover for 1 hour or until chickens are tender, removed from broth and drained until cool, skin and bones removed and discarded, meat cut into large chunks, 1 C broth reserved

6 Tbsp butter

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 Tbsp flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp paprika OR Creole seasoning

1 Tbsp instant minced onion

¼ tsp Tabasco (or more, to taste)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp celery salt

½ tsp oregano

1 C Sauterne (or other dry white wine)

1 C half and half cream

1 C fresh green peas, cooked

Basic Boiled Rice (or other rice dish, for serving, if desired—see recipes in Potatoes … section)

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add mushrooms, and cook, stirring constantly, until tender. Mix well together flour, salt, and paprika or Creole seasoning, and add to mushroom mixture. Stir in onion, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and oregano, add reserved 1C broth and Sauterne, and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Cool mixture slightly, then stir in cream. Stir in peas and chicken meat, and heat through. Serve over rice, if desired.

Serve with Creative Cooking Green Rice

Recipe: Creative Cooking Green RIce

Mr. Big Food cut this recipe in half, and cooked the rice in carrot stock for added goodness.

“This dish may be prepared and frozen. Bring to room temperature before baking.”—The Creative Cooking Course (1982)

CREATIVE COOKING GREEN RICE

Makes about 12 servings

10 oz broccoli, cooked, drained, chopped

2 C milk

1 stick butter

1 onion, chopped fine

2 eggs

2 recipes Basic Boiled Rice (or other boiled rice—see recipes in thi section)

1 tsp salt

2 C grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place half the broccoli and ½ C milk in blender container and process until puréed. Process remaining broccoli with another ½ C milk. Melt butter in a small frypan, add onions, and sauté until golden. Beat egg with remaining 1 C milk. Combine all ingredients and pour into a well-buttered casserole. Cover casserole and bake 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer. 

Served with Creative Cooking Chicken Sauterne

Recipe: Frankfurter Platter Dinner

Here on the Farm we like to mix things up when we have the opportunity. Last evening was Fancy Night Dinner-- sautéed zucchini, Creative Cooking risotto, and Frano-Syrian chicken. For dinner this lovely evening we had something more... how shall I say?... countrified.

Yes. Those frankfurters are arranged on top of a wonderful pile of mashed potatoes and surrounded by cabbage. 

A meal fit for a Country Mouse! But please note well. This recipe is from Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy. Seems even the Master Chef appreciated country food.

~~

“As man went, so went the sausage. In some form or another the sausage probably has been one of man’s foods ever since primitive days. Scientists point out that when the caveman learned to cook his food he also learned immediately to preserve part of the meat he had killed for a future meal, cleaning it of bone and gristle and stuffing it in a piece of skin. Thus the first sausage was probably invented. It acquired more and more refinement down through the ages until today it is even possible to get a hot dog neatly packaged in a skin that has a “zipper.””—Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy, The Gold Cook Book (1947)

“Cooked hot sauerkraut may be substituted for the whipped potatoes, or unchopped spinach, buttered noodles, rice risotto, etc.”

FRANKFURTER PLATTER DINNER

3 Tbsp butter

¾ C onions, sliced thin

1 ½ C tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin

8 C cabbage (red or green, or equal parts of each), shredded fin

¼ C cider vinegar

¼ C dill pickle (preferably homemade—see recipes in Canning … section), chopped

Salt, pepper

12 frankfurters, pan-broiled in a greased saucepan over a low flame until browned lightly on all sides

Whipped potatoes

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan, add onion slices and apple slices, cover pan, and cook 4 minutes. Add cabbage, mixing well from bottom of pan, and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Lift cover, add vinegar and dill pickles, season with salt and pepper to taste, replace cover, and cook very slowly for 15 to 20 minutes longer. To serve, pile whipped potatoes in center of a heated platter, arrange frankfurters at regular interval around potatoes, and border with hot cabbage mixture. Serve at once.

Recipe: Frano-Syrian Chicken

This is a delightful chicken dish, especially for a Fancy Night Dinner in the Summer. 

“As the name implies, this chicken recipe is a combination of French and Syrian cookery. If you prefer, the pine nuts can be ground and used to thicken the gravy. “Serve with French bread and cherry tomatoes” is the recommendation of the chef who created this dish. Definitely a “make it again” meal. (Recipe contest entry: Charles Perry, North Hollywood, CA)”—The Garlic Lovers’ Cookbook (1980)

FRANCO-SYRIAN CHICKEN

2- to 3-lb broiler-fryer chicken, cut into “frying pieces (wings, legs, thighs, deboned breast cut into quarters),” fat and skin removed

5 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

2 large lemons

2 Tbsp oil or clarified butter

1 C dry white wine

¼ C pignoli (Italian pine nuts), browned: either put them in a 350o oven for about 20 minutes until they are “evenly beige,” or fry in a little oil or butter over very low heat, stirring constantly, until light brown

1 tsp parsley, minced

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Press 3 garlic cloves through a garlic press onto chicken pieces and rub all over. Let chicken pieces stand 10 minutes. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon onto chicken pieces and marinate chicken in garlic and lemon for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Wipe garlic off chicken pieces, pat dry with a paper towel, and reserve marinade. Fry chicken in oil or clarified butter over high heat, starting with drumsticks, until meat stiffens and browns. Add wine and marinade, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered over low heat for 25 minutes. When chicken is done, remove from skillet, sprinkle with parsley, and keep warm. Add juice of second lemon to skillet along with remaining 2 garlic cloves, pressed, and reduce pan juice over highest heat for 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper, add pine nuts, and serve gravy over chicken.

Serve with Sauteed zucchini and Creative Cooking risotto for Fancy Night Dinner. 

Recipe: Creative Cooking Risotto

“For Risotto (re-SOT-to), instead of transferring the rice to a casserole, place it in a large iron skillet. Add 1 cup stock. When this has been completely absorbed, add more stock in ½ cup intervals until the last addition has been absorbed and rice is tender.”—The Creative Cooking Course (1982)

CREATIVE COOKING RISOTTO

4 Tbsp butter

1 C long grain rice

2 C beef or chicken stock (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, add rice, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is absorbed. Pour in 1 C stock and cook, stirring frequently, until stock has been absorb ed. Add another ½ C stock and cook until stock is absorbed. Add remaining stock, stir well, cover, and simmer until stock has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. “Cooking time will be about 25 minutes after first addition of stock.”

Serve with Sauteed zucchini and Frano Syrian chicken for Fancy Night Dinner. 

Recipe: Sauteed Zucchini

“Do not overcook! Serve as hot as possible.”—Tom P. Miller, Drew, Mississippi

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI

Zucchini, “very young and tender,” sliced into rounds just before cooking

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled

Put olive oil in skillet and press garlic cloves directly into skillet. Heat until bubbly. Add zucchini rounds and sauté “until hot through and through.”

Serve with Creative Cooking risotto and Franco Syrian chicken for Fancy Night Dinner. 

Recipe: Dilly Casserole Bread

Served with Salad Nicoise

DILLY CASSEROLE BREAD

2 1/2 - 3 C flour
2 T sugar
2-3 t minced onion
2 t dill seed
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 t soda
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 C (8 oz.) cottage cheese
1/4 C water
1 T butter
1 egg
butter, softened
course salt, if desired

In large bowl combine 1 C flour, sugar, onion, dill seed, salt, soda, and yeast. In saucepan, heat cottage cheese, water, and 1 T butter until very warm. Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture. Beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, mix in remaining 1 1/2 - 2 C flour to form a stiff dough. 

Cover. Let rise in a warm place until double in size about 45-65 mins.

Punch down. Turn into greased-- not oiled-- round casserole dish. Cover. Let rise until double in size... . About 30-40 mins. 

It's bread, for crying out loud. 

Bake at 350. 

Recipe: Salad Nicoise

This recipe calls for "2 quarts torn, mixed salad greens" which we have times infinity -1. (Because it's nonsensical to multiply infinity. We have a lot of lettuce.)

It's an old favorite recipe

from an old favorite cookbook-- now falling apart-- that I've had since before the Girls were born.

It is the vinaigrette that hold everything together. So it's not so much a recipe for a salad as it is an inspiration. Note the carrots-- nowhere to be seen in the recipe- but I pulled them and marinated them. Two weeks from now-- after this evening's rain-- the canned beans will be replaced by fresh. 

SALAD NICOISE

Vinaigrette Dressing

3/4 C salad oil
3/4 C tarragon white wine vinegar
1/4 C chopped green onion
2 T snipped fresh parsley
2  t salt
1 t dry mustard
1 t sugar
1/2 t tarragon crushed

Salad

16 oz. can cut green beans, drained
2 quarts torn, mixed salad greens
2 tomatoes, sliced
2-3 hard cooked eggs, cut into wedges
6 1/2 oz can white tune, drained
3-4 anchovy fillets, drained [OMIT]
3-4 slices salami or summer sausage, cut into strips
1/2 C ripe olives
1 C tiny whole pickled beets, drained.

Combine first nine ingredients in container with tight cover. Shake well. Pour 1/2 C over beans. Marinate 1 hour, chilling thoroughly. Toss salad greens with enough dressing to coat; place on two large platters, Drain marinated beans.; arrange on salad greens with remaining ingredients.

TIP: Select a combination of 3 salad greens from...

[That's not a problem!]

Capers, artichoke hearts, green pepper strips or strips of boiled ham are also good in this salad.

~~
Serve with Dilly Bread.

Recipe: Creamy French Dressing

Just another home grown salad with homemade dressing!

CREAMY FRENCH DRESSING
Makes 1 2/3 C

1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/3 C vinegar
1 egg
1 C salad oil

Combine paprika, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add vinegar and egg, and beat well. Add oil in a slow stream, beating constantly with electric mixer until thick.

Recipe: Texas Style Barbecued Baked Beans and Variations

Delicious!

Mr. Big Food comments that the beans should be pre-cooked. This is a delicious dish but as made according to the recipe, the beans are a bit tough. 

Like “Ranch Style Beans”? Then try these.

TEXAS STYLE BARBECUED BAKED BEANS AND VARIATIONS

Serves 6-8

2 C dried navy or pinto beans (or a combination of both)

Water (to soak and cook beans)

8 slices bacon, diced

½ C chopped onion

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 small hot red chili pepper

¾ C catsup or chili sauce (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

2 Tbsp prepared mustard (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

1 tsp salt

1 generous dash Tabasco (or more, to taste)

Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Next day, preheat oven to 350°. Fry bacon until crisp and drain drippings into baking dish or small bean pot. Add all remaining ingredients except bacon and soaking beans to fat and blend. Drain and rinse beans, and add to mixture. Crumble bacon on top and pour on fresh water just to cover beans. Cover dish and bake 2 hours, adding more hot water if needed during cooking time, and uncovering beans during last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.

VARIATIONS

Below the fold

Recipe: Czech Style Macaroni Variations

Comfort food

The recipes in this cookbook are sometimes not as clear as they might be. (That's what happens when you translate Czech to English.) Pictured is the first variation. The instruction to "make several layers" obviously refers to layers of macaroni, cheese and vegetables. 

CZECH STYLE MACARONI VARIATIONS

From M.L. Jandacek, Czech National Cook Book (1974)

MACARONI AND VEGETABLES INSTEAD OF MEAT

Place a layer of cooked macaroni in a well greased pan. Then sprinkle macaroni with grated cheese. Make several layers ending with cheese. Pour white sauce over top. Make sauce as follows: Melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 tablespoon flour and mix together. Then mixing constantly, add 1 cup hot milk and let cook until thick and smooth and add a little salt and pepper. Cover pan and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.

MACARONI WITH HAM

Place a layer of cooked macaroni in a well greased pan. Then add a layer of cooked ham or other smoked meat. Make several layers. The ham can be flavored with mustard or chopped onions. Beat 1 egg with 1 cup milk and pour over macaroni and bake in a hot oven 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to suit your taste. The ham may be salty enough and it will not be necessary to salt.

MACARONI WITH HORSERADISH

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1 teaspoon chopped green pepper and 1 teaspoon chopped onion and simmer 5 minutes. Then add 1 tablespoon flour, 1 cup soup, 1 cup cooked and strained tomatoes, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon horseradish, salt and pepper to suit your taste. Cut up cold cooked leftover meat and warm in gravy., then pour over cooked macaroni. You can add a little garlic for flavor.

MACARONI WITH LEFTOVER MEAT

Cut up cold, cooked, leftover meat and mix with cooked macaroni. Put in a well greased pan and pour brown, white, or tomato gravy over top. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake in a medium oven about 30 minutes. You can use fresh mushrooms instead of meat.

MACARONI CROQUETTES

Mix cooked macaroni with thick tomato gravy. Mix in grated cheese. Form small balls, dip in egg, roll in bread crumbs, and fry in hot fat.

MACARONI PUDDING I

Cook macaroni 10 minutes, drain, and add hot milk (½ pint milk for ¼ lb macaroni) and cook 20 minutes and remove from fire. Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Add to macaroni ad add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into a well greased pan and bake in a slow oven about ½ hour. Serve with cream.

MACARONI PUDDING II

Mix together 1 cup cooked macaroni, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 cup grated cheese, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, ½ cup tomatoes, 1 tablespoon chopped onion, salt, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1/3 cup water from macaroni and 3 eggs. Pour into a well greased pan and set pan in a pot of hot water, and bake in a hot oven 35 minutes.

MACARONI WITH CHOPPED PORK

Cook broken up macaroni in boiling salt water and drain. Line a pan with pork (sekaniny), salt and pepper and then add a layer of macaroni. Pour 3 cups tomato gravy over top and bake 1 hour. For this recipe you can use 1 box macaroni and 1 lb meat or cut recipe in half. You can also use rice instead of macaroni.

Recipe: Chicken and Dressing Casserole

Extremely yummy!

NOTE!! Mr. Big Food comments that the amount of liquid in this recipe needs to be cut back by about 1/2. It is delicious but too moist-- in our humble opinions. 

CHICKEN AND DRESSING CASSEROLE

Serves 6

1 fryer chicken, boiled, cut up, deboned

10 ½ oz can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 C chicken broth (from boiling chicken)

3 hard boiled eggs

1 batch corn bread stuffing mix (can use store-bought in a pinch)

Onion, minced

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients and spoon into a lightly greased deep casserole. Bake 20-30 minutes.

Recipe: Kentucky Minted Carrots

We forgot to get more carrots so Mr. Big Food added some peas.

For Derby Day, of course!

KENTUCKY MINTED CARROTS

Serves 4

1 lb (8-10) carrots, scraped and cut diagonally into ¼ inch lengths

1 C water

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp butter, cut into bits

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, cut coarse

Place carrot slices into a 1 quart saucepan, add water and salt, cover pan tightly, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate and cook carrots for about 15 minutes, or until water is almost completely evaporated and carrots are tender but still slightly resistant to the bite. Stir in butter and several grindings of black pepper, remove from heat, toss carrots lightly with mint leaves, taste for seasonings, and serve at once in a heated vegetable dish.

Recipe: Mexican Baked Eggs

Preparation

How about that curly bacon!

BAKED MEXICAN EGGS

Serves 4

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces, plus 4 additional pieces cooked and formed into curls

16 oz tomatoes (can use stewed or canned)

¼ C chopped green chilies

1 clove garlic, minced

4 eggs

Salt, pepper

Tortillas, heated, buttered, and rolled

Preheat oven to 325 °. Cook bacon pieces slowly in skillet until crisp, drain off excess fat, add tomatoes, chilies, and garlic, and heat through. Divide mixture evenly among 4 baking cups and carefully slide an egg on top of tomato mixture in each cup. Sprinkle each egg lightly with salt and pepper and bake 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set. Top each egg with a bacon curl. Pass heated and rolled tortillas.

Recipe: Pot Roast I

Can you believe it? Mr. Big Food has never made this dish before! That's fresh parsley, by the way.

POT ROAST I

4 lb boneless chuck roast (or other boneless roast)

2 tsp Creole seasoning

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp celery salt

1 ¼ tsp sweet basil

3 Tbsp flour

1 ¼ C vegetable oil

14 ½ oz beef stock (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

½ C spicy vegetable juice (like V-8)

½ C water

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Teriyaki sauce (preferably homemade—see recipes in Grillin’ … section)

Onion (white or yellow), cut into thin rings

2 carrots, pared and cut into 2 inch slices

4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

¼ C fresh parsley, chopped fine

Combine seasonings and rub over roast surface. Dredge roast in flour. Brown on all sides in hot oil in stock pot or Dutch oven. Drain excess oil. Add broth, vegetable juice, water, Worchestershire sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 1 hour (or longer, depending on desired tenderness). Add vegetables. Cover and simmer 45 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Cook uncovered during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. Remove roast to serving platter and slice. Surround with vegetables. Top with gravy and garnish with parsley.

Recipe: 24 Hour Slaw with Hot Dressing

4/12/14 6:28pm 

4/13/14 7:35pm

Serve with North Carolina Pork Barbecue

24 HOUR SLAW WITH HOT DRESSING

Serves 8-10

¾ C sugar

1 large head cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored, and shredded

2 large red onions, sliced thin

Hot Dressing

Stir sugar into shredded cabbage, place half of cabbage in a large bowl, and cover with onion slices. Top onions with remaining cabbage. Pour boiling Hot Dressing over all slowly. Do not stir. Cover and refrigerate at once for 24 hours. Stir well before serving.

HOT DRESSING

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 ½ tsp salt

1 C cider vinegar

1 C oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in oil and return to boiling.

Recipe: North Carolina Pork Barbecue

Serve with 24 Hour Slaw with Hot Dressing

NORTH CAROLINA PORK BARBECUE

Makes about 8 big sandwiches

4-5 lb pork shoulder roast or Boston butt

1 C white vinegar

½ C water

2 Tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp crushed red pepper

¼ tsp black pepper

8 kaiser rolls, split and toasted if desired (preferably homemade—see recipes for French Bread in Baked Goods section)

Place roast in bottom of (at least a 4 quart) slow cooker, and add remaining ingredients except rolls. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 10-12 hours, or on high heat setting for 5-6 hours. Remove meat from cooker and cool slightly. Remove meat from bone, and shred or chop meat. Stir in as much of the cooking liquid as desired to moisten meat and serve on rolls.

Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Biscuit Dumplings

Canned biscuits can substitute for dumplin’s when you’re in a pinch …

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH BISCUIT DUMPLINGS

1 chicken, cut up, or chicken pieces, 3-3 ½ pounds, skinned

½ tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

¼ C (½ stick) butter

10 ¾ oz chicken stock (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

1 small onion, chopped

½ tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp black pepper

1 lb bag frozen vegetables, any variety, thawed

1 package refrigerated biscuits

Parsley, minced, for garnish

Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and paprika. Melt butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add chicken pieces and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove chicken, pour out drippings, and add broth to skillet. Add onion, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Return chicken to skillet, moving aside onions. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 25 minutes. Add vegetables to skillet around chicken pieces. Return liquid to boiling. Top chicken and vegetables with biscuits. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until dumplings are cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley.